The 9 Easiest Things to Flip for Profit

When you think about flipping items for profit, inevitably HGTV shows filled with nervous homeowners ripping up walls come to mind. While home flipping can be a great source of income for some people, there is a whole other world out there of items that can be upsold (at a cost far less than a house purchase!). The best part is you can work-from-home while finding, fixing, and selling these items, making a great side income.

Here are 9 of the easiest things to flip for profit.

The Easiest Items to Flip for Profit

There are so many ways to work-from-homewhile earning cash, and flipping is certainly a popular method. I'll explain each one of these in detail below, but here is a list of the easiest items to flip for profit that will be covered in this article:

Domain names

Websites

Thrifted and flea market finds

Furniture

Clothing

Handmade and semi-handmade goods

Appliances

Broken items

Cars and car parts

How to Flip a Website for Profit

Ah, the world wide web. Did you know you can make money building and selling websites? This is one of the most intriguing ways to make money in the digital age. All you need is a computer, internet access, some creativity and time—that's it!

Here's a quick breakdown of the different ways a website can be one of the easiest things to flip for profit:

Buy and sell domain names.

Build up a website and sell it.

Buy a website and enhance it.

1. Buy and Sell Domain Names

Yes, you can make a profit buying and selling domain names. This method requires some creativity and strategy as well as great organizational skills. The chances of purchasing one domain name and striking rich are pretty low, so most people who sell domain names have hundreds, if not thousands of them.

To be successful, your best bet is to come up with a list of URL ideas along with several variations for each and start purchasing. Spread your ideas throughout several industries or keywords to have a good variety. Look for coupons or deals that will help cut your cost, and make sure you carefully track the website purchases and corresponding info on a spreadsheet.

If you are planning on simply holding and selling, you will want to make sure you set the homepage of that URL to let people know it's available for purchase. You can also sell your domain on a website like Flippa.com.

2. Build Up a Website and Sell It

One way you can make a profit by flipping at home is learning how to build and sell a website. Think of it this way—new bloggers or businesses entering the scene can purchase a domain and build an entire website from the ground up themselves … or they can purchase one that already has the foundation and leg work done for them. This is where you come in.

To make this successful will take some time but the payoff potential is good. You can earn even more by selling a niche site that already has an active email list and engaged social media following.

3. Buy a Website and Enhance it

Another easy way to make money flipping websites is to purchase a website that already has some sort of foundation, and spending time improving the site. This can be done in many different ways, but in general, this method is great for those who have strong SEO knowledge and know how to grow a website. There's a big learning curve to successfully growing a website—it can only be one of the easiest things to flip for profit if you have a working knowledge of monetization and blog growth.

The Easiest Things to Flip for Profit from a Thrift Store

If you love to go treasure hunting at a thrift store or flea market, why not make some money while you are at it? To make money flipping thrift items will take time and patience, but it can certainly be an enjoyable pastime for many. There are some items that will sell easier than others, so a bit of trial and error may be in order. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

4. Home Goods

Every time I go to a thrift store I'm amazed at what people have donated, like high-end china, sterling silver flatware sets, and beautiful barware. These items, when cleaned and styled properly can make a good profit.

5. Furniture

If found at a good price and in fairly good condition, furniture can be one of the easiest items to flip for profit. In my experience, furniture without upholstery tends to sell much better, unless you are able to reupholster the piece or if it is in excellent shape.

Items should be in good condition, even if they aren't the prettiest. Hard wooden pieces can be sanded and re-stained or painted for income. You can find some great deals out there—it just takes a bit of searching along with beautifully styled photographs when listing.

6. Clothing

This is one of the few categories where the brand is key. You are much more likely to get a good profit for Nike sweatpants than a generic off-brand. Again, make sure clothing items are in good condition without rips or stains before purchasing. Pro tip—figure out when your local thrift store has an additional 50% or more off clothing and go shop then. Just make sure you get there early as I guarantee you other people will have the same thought in mind.

Tips for Selling Items from Thrift Stores

Know your market. You'll need to know what items people are actually searching for or buying. One great way to do this is to watch Facebook garage sale sites and make notes about what items are selling quickly—then try to find those items and list them.

Do Keyword research. What terms are people searching for? Are there two or three different names for one item? If so, try to include them both. For example, rather than list a silverware set, you might title your post something like “silverware set (flatware set)”.

Take great photos. To make your items stand out from other flippers, you will need to take the time to take excellent photos of your items—this post has some great pointers.

Understand each platform. There are some items that will do better on Craigslist than eBay, like large pieces of furniture. Take the time to study each one and learn the pros and cons.

Come up with an inventory and shipping process. Lastly, the more items you list and sell, the more time and organization will be required. Come up with a way to track your items and prices as well as how you will ship each one.

7. Things to Sell for Profit if You are Creative

If you would call yourself crafty, there are so many ways you can upsell items and make money. Generally, this type of flipping would fall under the semi-handmade or handmade category, and it can be a lot of fun if this type of work is enjoyable to you.

Everyday items from the store can be transformed into a one-of-a-kind treasure. Wooden furniture can be painted or an old typewriter can be taken apart so the keys can be used as jewelry. Your only limit is your imagination!

The Easiest Things to Flip for Profit if You're Mechanically Inclined

Finally, if you are mechanically inclined, there are several items you could consider flipping. When things break, many people choose to discard them, give them away or sell at a very low price rather than take the time to have the item repaired. You can purchase these items, fix them and sell them.

8. Appliances and Broken Items

Depending on the issue, it may or may not be worth your time to fix appliances, particularly small ones like toasters or coffee makers as they will not fetch much profit. Large appliances, however like refrigerators or washer and dryer sets can often be fixed with fairly little time by someone who is experienced and then sold at a higher cost for a nice profit.

9. Cars and Car Parts

Buying broken cars and restoring them is a long-term project and can be a bit risky, but the payoff potential is huge. I would only recommend attempting this if you are sure you can fix the problem, as vehicles (even broken ones!) are costly purchases.

Conclusion

As you can see, there are so many ways to flip items! Which one of these will you give a try? If you have another suggestion, I'd love to hear it so drop it in the comment section below.

You’ll Also Love These Posts:

Studies have shown if you like this blog post — you will also love the following articles. I handpicked them just for you!

Tania Griffis is a freelance writer and blogger who has a background in human resources, hiring, and copywriting. She loves using a combination of creativity and business savvy to help businesses succeed, including her own blog Run to Radiance, which details her home and craft adventures. She is also a new-ish mama to a beautiful baby girl that keeps both Tania and her husband on their toes.